Under The Full Moon

The Ambush

Gale sat with Broin for a while, talking over the plan for the days to come. She knew her time as a human was limited, she could feel the impending fear of the transformation from her human self to her dragon form welling in her chest. Broin could see it behind her smile. He tried to keep her focus away from it, but he knew it wasn't exactly that easy. He had seen how painful it was for her to go from dragon to human, and he couldn't imagine it was any easier the other way around, especially considering the larger form of the dragon. Noticing that Broin seemed to have dwindled off on their conversation, she furrowed her brow a little.

"Broin?" Gale reached to set her hand on his arm as she spoke, making him jump a little. She drew her hand back, watching him gently. He smiled a little, giving her a reassuring expression. 

"I'm alright, I was just thinking, sorry," He responded, moving a little to face her some so he could give her his full attention again. 

"I know I have asked a lot of you... but... could you stay with me? Just tonight," Gale questioned, her fear showing through now. She had tried to hide it, but the closer it came to the time of her transformation, Gale found it harder to keep herself under control. "I... I don't want to be alone," 

Broin reached out and set a hand on the back of Gale's head, bringing her in close to his chest. "It's alright. I'll stay here," He said softly, his other arm moving to rest around her shoulders. Setting his chin on top of Gale's head, Broin sighed, gingerly rubbing her shoulder. "I'll stay right here. You don't have to be alone. I'm right here," 

Gale closed her eyes, Broin's words soothing her, lessening her fear a little. It was still there, knowing the pain she was going to endure. "We should probably head back to the camp for a little while," Gale whispered, looking up to Broin before she turned to the water. Nodding in agreement, Broin moved to stand up, letting go of Gale as he did so. For a moment, she remained seated on the ground before she smiled a little. Getting up from the ground, she made as though to start back toward the camp, though at the last second, she turned back to the water. Rushing forward, she broke into the water. Broin stood where he was, a bit surprised. He hadn't expected the burst of energy from Gale, after what she had been through, though it seemed the brew he had made for her was just as great as his grandmother said it was. Smiling, he watched her for a moment as she ran into the water, splashing around wildly. He imagined it must feel good. Going over to the water's edge, he thought about joining her, though the choice was made for him when Gale splashed water back at him.

Laughing, Broin set aside his pack and waded into the water, slapping water back in Gale's direction. She gave a lighthearted screech, shielding her face with her arms as the water flew in her direction. Scrunching her nose, Gale lowered her arms. "You did it first," Broin spoke as he laughed at her expression. The way she wrinkled her nose kind of reminded him of the expressions she made in her dragon form. Wading out a little further, Broin took in the coolness of the water. "I can see why you spend so much time out here by the lake. There's more room and I can imagine this water feels really good when you are covered in fur all the time," 

Gale hummed in agreement. "It does. White as it may be, it still gets really warm," She looked out over the water, smiling a little. She turned her attention to Broin again, who was now floating on his back. She tilted her head in an inquisitive manner. "How do you do that?" 

Broin turned his head, smiling at Gale. "Come here and I'll show you," He said, righting himself. Gale waded over, her dress flowing out behind her in the water like a cloud. Broin was thankful for the lack of daylight, for the time being, his face having taken on a pink tint once more. As she neared him, Broin cleared his throat a little, turning her so her back faced him. "Alright, so you want to relax your body. Like you are laying back to go to sleep," He said, placing a hand in the center of her back, the other on her shoulder. "Go ahead and lay back, I've got you,"

Gale did as she was told, leaning back in the water against Broin's hands. She could feel the warmth of his palm against her back, smiling a little at the sensation of his gentle touch. She drew in a breath, relaxing her body and closing her eyes. She giggled a little at the water in her ears as her head rested back in the water, the tickling sending a wave of goosebumps up and down her body. Broin's lips broke in a smile.

"Alright, I'm going to move my hand from under your back," As he spoke, Broin moved his hand from beneath Gale's back, allowing her to float on her own. Gale's hair brushed against his bare arm, and as he watched her, it seemed to cloud around her shoulders and head, as well as down around her waist where it faded off into her dress as it followed the water's gentle current, her collar catching the dim light and shimmering. It almost felt as though his breath was stolen away from him at the sight. "Gale..." he started, though he didn't move. He couldn't. If he did, he was sure his knees would buckle. Gale looked up to him, her blue-purple eyes opening and meeting his, the dark green of his eyes seeming to be darker in the dimming light of the moon.

"Yes?" She asked, moving a little to right herself, wondering what it was. Before he could speak, something to their right made her jump. Broin moved through the water a little quicker than she could have done herself, putting himself in front of her. A low growl reached the two of them where they were in the water, making Gale's face turn pale in color, a sick sensation rising in her stomach. 

"Go..." Broin said quietly, moving to nudge her toward the water's edge in the direction away from the sound. "I'll be right behind you, go," Broin gave Gale one more nudge to get her going. Grabbing the front of her dress, Gale started toward the water's edge. As soon as she hit the dirt, Gale gathered up her dress and started to run. Broin was shortly behind her, looking over his shoulder as the beast that the Wizard had been with burst forward and began to give chase. "Go! Toward the camp!" He shouted, looking back toward Gale. She did as she was told, taking a right and rushing into the underbrush. Broin hurried after her, the beast sliding to a stop with a roar as it was caught up by the tight spaces. He moved behind Gale, ducking under the same vines she had been pushing aside. Once they reached the camp, he grabbed his bow and the arrows. "Get in the tree," 

"Broin! Please come with me! If he hurts you..." 

"Get in the tree, Gale!" Broin cut her off, setting an arrow in the bow as the growling of the beast drew closer. Startled by the tone in his voice, Gale did as she was told, climbing up into the tree as the beast entered the camp. It hissed at Broin, baring its teeth and flicking its tongue at him like a snake cornering its prey. Lifting his bow, Broin leveled it with the beast's face. "I'm giving you one warning to back off!" He shouted, drawing back on the bow.

"So this is what drove him to ignore me?" The voice made Broin tense up, instant recognition reaching his face, long before the figure of the Wizard left the trees. "Lower the bow or the girl will find out what it's like to be in more pain than just that transformation," he said, lifting his staff and pointing it toward the tree. "I can always find another dragon to replace her... do you really want to see her burn?"